Short-handed Hawaii baseball team clinches winning record in Big West

Down players but not out of grit, the University of Hawaii baseball team held on for a historic 7-4 victory over UC San Diego at Triton Ballpark in La Jolla, Calif.

By winning the opener of a three-game series, the Rainbow Warriors improved to 16-9 in league play, clinching their first winning Big West record in 10 seasons of membership. They have five Big West games remaining.

“I told those guys at the end of the game, this group of guys has done something no other UH team has done,” UH coach Rich Hill said, “and that’s achieve that winning record in the Big West, one of the best baseball conferences in the country. Guys are nodding their heads. We didn’t come here to do (only) that. So, onward.”

Last June, Hill was hired as successor to Mike Trapasso, now the pitching coach at Navy. For his initial UH season, Hill went with a smaller roster — which became lighter on Friday. Catcher DallasJ Duarte, first baseman Jacob Igawa, outfielder Naighel Ali‘i Calderon, infielder Kody Watanabe, and reliever Tyler Dyball were unavailable to play on Friday. During Thursday’s practice, Hill said, “my assistant coach looked at me and said, ‘We only have 10 position players. We can only go three (batting practice) groups.’ We couldn’t take infield-outfield (practice). It doesn’t matter.”

Hill said there were 22 available players. “It’s all right,” Hill said, recalling, “when I was at Chatham (of the Cape Cod Summer League), that was the roster (size).”

For starters, Hill had an energized battery. Right-handed pitcher Blaze Koali‘i Pontes has been the ’Bows’ most dependable starter the past six weeks. Nainoa Cardinez also has thrived since his promotion to No. 1 catcher. Duarte might not play the rest of the season because of a lower-torso injury. Backup catcher Blake Hiraki is out for the season. Igawa, who has not caught since being a member of UH Hilo two years ago, was the emergency catcher.

On Friday, Cardinez went 3-for-4 with a home run. He singled and eventually scored on Jordan Donahue’s single for a 3-0 lead in the second. In the seventh, Cardinez hit a solo shot — his second of the season — to extend the ’Bows’ lead to 7-4. Cardinez is hitting .364 in the five games as No. 1 catcher.

“Nainoa has really stepped up,” Hill said. “He’s really filled in great for Dallas, and been a complete baller. … He’s doing a great job. Can’t say enough about him.”

Donahue went 3-for-6, center fielder Cole Cabrera hit a two-run homer to stake the ’Bows to a 2-0 lead in the first, and Scotty Scott contributed two hits. Kyson Donahue started at first base, his fifth position this season. The ’Bows amassed 15 hits, and stranded 13 runners — at least one each inning.

Pontes spaced six hits and allowed four runs in six innings to improve to 5-0 overall (and 4-0 as a starter). He struck out seven and did not issue a walk. In six starts, Pontes has a 2.15 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

“He battled,” Hill said. “I don’t think he had vintage Li‘i stuff. But he absolutely battled. I don’t think he walked a guy. It was great to see it out of him.”

After inheriting runners on first and second with one out in the seventh, Buddie Pindel induced a popout and then struck out Luke Saunders to quell the threat. Pindel got the Tritons in order in the eighth. After the Tritons loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, Dalton Renne struck out Noah Sudyka and then coaxed pinch hitter Matt Halbach to hit into the game-ending groundout.

“It’s lights out what (Renne) did,” Hill said.

Hill said Cade Halemanu will start today. He said Tai Atkins, Pindel and Renne will be available as relievers today if needed.

“It’s one game at a time, total cliche, but that’s how we do it,” Hill said.